THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Richard  Petrie 


CANNED  FRUIT, 
PRESERVES  t^  JELLIES 

Household  Methods 
of  Preparation 


MARIA  PARLOA 


Prepared   Under  the  Supervision  of  Experi- 
ment Stations,  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture 


THE  SAALFIELD  PUBLISHING  CO. 
Chicago  Akron,  Ohio       New  York 


Copyright,  1917 

By 

The  Saalfield  Publishing  Co. 


ContentsT^^c. 

Introduction    .:. 3 

Fresh  and  Preserved  Fruit  for  the  Mar- 
ket      7 

Packing  and  Shipping 10 

Principles  of  Canning  and  Preserving....  11 

Bacteria,   Yeasts   and   Fermentation 12 

Molds  and  Molding 20 

Sterilization    23 

Utensils  Needed  for  Canning  and  Pre- 
serving     26 

Selection  and  Preparation  of  the  Fruit..  34 

Making  Sirup  for  Use  in  Canning  and 
Preserving  41 

Use  of  the  Sirup  Gauge 45 

Canning  Fruit 47 

Canned  Fruit  Cooked  in  the  Oven 62 

Canned  Fruit  Cooked  in  a  Water  Bath..  64 

Preserving  Fruit  66 

Fruit  Purees  71 

Marmalades  73 

Methods  of  Making  Jelly 77 

Selection    and    Handling    of   Fruit   for 
Jelly  Making  81 

Covering  Jellies  94 

Canned  or  Bottled  Fruit  Juices 96 


9074.01 


Canned  Fruit,  Preserves 
and  Jellies 


Introduction 

The  common  fruits,  because  of 
their  low  nutritive  value,  are  not, 
as  a  rule,  estimated  at  their  real 
worth  as  food.  Fruit  has  great  die- 
tetic value  and  should  be  used  gener- 
ously and  wisely,  both  fresh  and 
cooked.  Fruits  supply  a  variety  of 
flavors,  sugar,  acids,  and  a  necessary 
waste  or  bulky  material  for  aiding 
in  intestinal  movement.  They  are 
generally  rich  in  potash  and  soda 
salts  and  other  minerals.  Most  fresh 
fruits  are  cooling  and  refreshing. 
The  vegetable  acids  have  a  solvent 
power  on  the  nutrients  and  are  an 
aid  to  digestion  when  not  taken  in 
excess. 

Fruit  and  fruit  juices  keep  the 
blood  in  a  healthy  condition  when  the 


CANNED  FRUITS 


supply  of  fresh  meat,  fish,  and  vege- 
tables is  limited  and  salt  or  smoked 
meats  constitute  the  chief  elements 
of  diet.  Fresh  fruit  is  generally- 
more  appetizing  and  refreshing  than 
cooked.  For  this  reason  it  is  often 
eaten  in  too  large  quantities,  and  fre- 
quently when  underripe  or  overripe; 
but  when  of  good  quality  and  eaten  in 
moderate  quantities  it  promotes 
healthy  intestinal  action  and  rarely 
hurts  anyone. 

If  eaten  immoderately,  uncooked 
fruit  is  apt  to  induce  intestinal  dis- 
turbances. If  eaten  unripe,  it  often 
causes  stomach  and  intestinal  irrita- 
tion; overripe,  it  has  a  tendency  to 
ferment  in  the  alimentary  canal. 
Cooking  changes  the  character  and 
flavor  of  fruit,  and  while  the  product 
is  not  so  cooling  and  refreshing  as  in 
the  raw  state,  it  can,  as  a  rule,  be 
eaten  with  less  danger  of  causing 
stomach   or   intestinal   trouble.     If 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES  5 

sugar  be  added  to  the  cooked  fruit, 
the  nutritive  value  will  be  increased. 
A  large  quantity  of  sugar  spoils  the 
flavor  of  the  fruit  and  is  likely  to 
make  it  less  easily  digested. 

Nowhere  is  there  greater  need  of 
a  generous  supply  of  fruit  than  on 
the  farm,  where  the  diet  is  apt  to  be 
restricted  in  variety  because  of  the 
distance  from  markets.  Every 
fanner  should  raise  a  generous  sup- 
ply of  the  kinds  of  fruit  that  can  be 
grown  in  his  locality.  Wives  and 
daughters  on  the  farms  should  find 
pleasure  in  serving  these  fruits  in  the 
most  healthful  and  tempting  form. 
There  are  a  large  number  of  simple, 
dainty  desserts  that  can  be  prepared 
with  fruit  and  without  much  labor. 
Such  desserts  should  leave  the  pie  as 
an  occasional  luxury  instead  of  al- 
lowing it  to  be  considered  a  daily 
necessity. 

In  the  season  when  each  kind  of 


CANNED  FRUITS 


fruit  is  plentiful  and  at  its  best  a 
generous  supply  should  be  canned  for 
the  season  when  both  fruit  and  fresh 
vegetables  are  scarce.  A  great  deal 
of  the  fruit  should  be  canned  with 
little  or  no  sugar,  that  it  may  be  as 
nearly  as  possible  in  the  condition 
of  fresh  fruit.  This  is  the  best  con- 
dition for  cooking  purposes.  A  sup- 
ply of  glass  jars  does  cost  something, 
but  that  item  of  expense  should  be 
charged  to  future  years,  as  with 
proper  care  the  breaking  of  a  jar  need 
be  a  rare  occurrence.  If  there  be  an 
abundance  of  grapes  and  small,  juicy 
fruits,  plenty  of  juice  should  be  can- 
ned or  bottled  for  refreshing  drinks 
throughout  the  year.  Remember 
that  the  fruit  and  juice  are  not  lux- 
uries, but  an  addition  to  the  dietary 
that  will  mean  better  health  for  the 
members  of  the  family  and  greater 
economy  in  the  cost  of  the  table. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES 


Fresh  and  Preserved  Fruit  for  the 
Market. 

If  the  supply  of  fruit  is  greater 
than  the  family  needs,  it  may  be 
made  a  source  of  income  by  sending 
the  fresh  fruit  to  the  market,  if  there 
is  one  near  enough,  or  by  preserving, 
canning,  and  making  jelly  for  sale. 
To  make  such  an  enterprise  a  suc- 
cess the  fruit  and  work  must  be  first 
class.  There  is  magic  in  the  word 
"Homemade,"  when  the  product  ap- 
peals to  the  eye  and  the  palate;  but 
many  careless  and  incompetent  peo- 
ple have  found  to  their  sorrow  that 
this  word  has  not  magic  enough  to 
float  inferior  goods  on  the  market. 
As  a  rule  large  canning  and  preserv- 
ing establishments  are  clean  and 
have  the  best  appliances,  and  they 
employ  chemists  and  skilled  labor. 
The  home  product  must  be  very  good 
to  compete  with  the  attractive  goods 


CANNED  FRXnTS 


that  are  sent  out  from  such  estab- 
lishments. Yet  for  first-class  home- 
made products  there  is  a  market  in 
all  large  cities.  All  first-class  grocers 
have  customers  who  purchase  such 
goods. 

To  secure  a  market  get  the  names 
of  several  first-class  grocers  in  some 
of  the  large  towns.  Write  to  them 
asking  if  they  would  be  willing  to 
try  a  sample  of  your  goods.  If  the 
answer  is  favorable,  send  samples  of 
the  articles  you  wish  to  sell.  In  the 
box  with  the  fruit  inclose  a  list  of 
the  articles  sent  and  the  price.  Write 
your  name  and  address  clearly.  Mail 
a  note  and  a  duplicate  list  at  the  time 
you  send  the  box. 

Fixing  the  price  of  the  goods  is 
important.  Make  it  high  enough  to 
cover  all  expenses  and  give  you  a  fair 
return  for  your  labor.  The  expenses 
will  be  the  fruit,  sugar,  fuel,  jars, 
glasses,    boxes,    packing    material. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES 


wear  and  tear  of  utensils,  etc.,  trans- 
portation, and  commission.  The 
commission  will  probably  be  20  per 
cent  of  the  selling  price.  It  may  be 
that  a  merchant  will  find  that  your 
prices  are  too  high  or  too  low  for  his 
trade,  or  he  may  wish  to  purchase 
the  goods  outright.  In  any  case  it  is 
essential  that  you  estimate  the  full 
cost  of  the  product  and  the  value  that 
you  place  on  your  labor.  You  will 
then  be  in  a  position  to  decide  if  the 
prices  offered  will  compensate  you  for 
the  labor  and  expense.  Do  not  be 
tempted,  for  the  sake  of  a  little 
money,  to  deprive  your  family  of  the 
fruit  necessary  to  health  and  pleas- 
ure. 


10  CANNED  FRUITS 


Packing  and  Shipping. 

Each  jar  or  jelly  glass  must  be 
wrapped  in  several  thicknesses  of  soft 
paper  (newspapers  will  answer). 
Make  pads  of  excelsior  or  hay  by 
spreading  a  thick  layer  between  the 
folds  of  newspapers.  Line  the  bot- 
tom and  sides  of  the  box  with  these 
pads.  Pack  the  fruit  in  the  padded 
box.  Fill  all  the  spaces  between  the 
jars  with  the  packing  material.  If 
the  box  is  deep  and  a  second  layer  of 
fioiit  is  to  go  in,  put  thick  pasteboard 
or  thin  boards  over  the  first  layer 
and  set  the  wrapped  jars  on  this. 
Fill  all  the  spaces  and  cover  the  top 
with  the  packing  material.  Nail  on 
the  cover  and  mark  clearly:  GLASS. 
THIS  SIDE  UP. 

The  great  secret  in  packing  is  to 
fill  every  particle  of  space  so  that 
nothing  can  move. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         11 


Principles  of  Canning  and  Preserving. 

In  the  preservation  of  foods  by  can- 
ning, preserving,  etc.,  the  most  es- 
sential things  in  the  processes  are 
the  sterilization  of  the  food  and  all 
the  utensils  and  the  sealing  of  the 
sterilized  food  to  exclude  all  germs. 


12  CANNED  FRUITS 


Bacteria,  Yeasts,  and  Fermentation. 

Over  one  hundred  years  ago,  Fran- 
gois  Appert  was  the  first  to  make 
practical  application  of  the  method 
of  preserving  food  by  putting  it  in 
cans  or  bottles,  which  he  hermetically 
sealed.  He  then  put  the  full  bottles 
or  cans  in  water  and  boiled  them 
for  more  or  less  time,  depending  upon 
the  kinds  of  food. 

In  Appert's  time  and,  indeed,  until 
recent  years  it  was  generally  thought 
that  the  oxygen  of  the  air  caused  the 
decomposition  of  food.  Appert's 
theory  was  that  the  things  essential 
to  the  preservation  of  food  in  this 
manner  were  the  exclusion  of  air  and 
the  application  of  gentle  heat,  as  in 
the  water  bath,  which  caused  a  fu- 
sion of  the  principal  constituents  and 
ferments  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
power  of  the  ferments  was  destroyed. 

The   investigations    of   scientists. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         18 

particularly  of  Pasteur,  have  shown 
that  it  is  not  the  oxygen  of  the  air 
which  causes  fermentation  and  putre- 
faction, but  bacteria  and  other  mi- 
croscopic organisms. 

Appert's  theory  as  to  the  cause  of 
the  spoiling  of  food  was  incorrect, 
but  his  method  of  preserving  it  by 
sealing  and  cooking  was  correct,  and 
the  world  owes  him  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude. 

In  their  investigations  scientists 
have  found  that  if  food  is  perfectly 
sterilized  and  the  opening  of  the  jar 
or  bottle  plugged  with  sterilized  cot- 
ton, food  will  not  ferment,  for  the 
bacteria  and  yeasts  to  which  such 
changes  are  due  can  not  pass  through 
the  cotton.  This  method  can  not  be 
conveniently  followed  with  large  jars. 

Bacteria  and  yeasts  exist  in  the 
air,  in  the  soil,  and  on  all  vegetable 
and  animal  substances,  and  even  in 
the  living  body,  but  although  of  such 


14 CANNED  FRUITS 

universal  occurrence,  the  true  knowl- 
edge of  their  nature  and  economic 
importance  has  only  been  gained  dur- 
ing the  last  forty  years. 

There  are  a  great  many  kinds 
of  these  micro-organisms.  Some  do 
great  harm,  but  it  is  thought  that 
the  greater  part  of  them  are  benefi- 
cial rather  than  injurious. 

Bacteria  are  one-celled  and  so 
small  they  can  only  be  seen  by  aid 
of  a  microscope.  The  process  of  re- 
production is  simple  and  rapid.  The 
bacterium  becomes  constricted,  di- 
vides, and  finally  there  are  two  cells 
instead  of  one.  Under  favorable  con- 
ditions each  cell  divides,  and  so  rapid 
is  the  work  that  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  one  bacterium  may  give 
rise,  within  twenty-four  hours,  to 
seventeen  millions  of  similar  organ- 
ism^.  The  favorable  conditions  for 
growth  are  moisture,  warmth  and 
proper  food. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         15 

Yeasts,  which  are  also  one-celled 
organisms,  grow  less  rapidly.  A  bud 
develops,  breaks  off,  and  forms  a  new 
yeast  plant.  Some  yeasts  and  some 
kinds  of  bacteria  produce  spores. 
Spores,  like  the  dried  seeds  of  plants, 
may  retain  their  vitality  for  a  long 
time,  even  when  exposed  to  condi- 
tions which  kill  the  parent  organism. 

Yeasts  and  nearly  all  bacteria  re- 
quire oxygen,  but  there  are  species 
of  the  latter  that  seem  to  grow  equal- 
ly well  without  it,  so  that  the  exclu- 
sion of  air,  which,  of  course,  contains 
oxygen,  is  not  always  a  protection,  if 
one  of  the  anaerobic  bacteria,  as  the 
kinds  are  called  which  do  not  require 
oxygen,  is  sealed  in  the  can. 

Spoiling  of  food  is  caused  by  the 
development  of  bacteria  or  yeasts. 
Certain  chemical  changes  are  pro- 
duced as  shown  by  gases,  odors,  and 
flavors. 

Bacteria  grow  luxuriantly  in  foods 


16 CANNED  FRUITS 

containing  a  good  deal  of  nitrogenous 
material,  if  warmth  and  moisture  are 
present.  Among  foods  rich  in  nitrog- 
enous substances  are  all  kinds  of 
meat,  fish,  eggs,  peas,  beans,  lentils, 
milk,  etc.  These  foods  are  difficult 
to  preserve  on  account  of  the  omni- 
present bacteria.  This  is  seen  in 
warm,  muggy  weather,  when  fresh 
meat,  fish,  soups,  milk,  etc.,  spoil 
quicldy.  Bacteria  do  not  develop 
in  substances  containing  a  large 
percentage  of  sugar,  but  they  grow 
rapidly  in  a  suitable  wet  substance 
which  contains  a  small  percentage 
of  sugar.  Yeasts  grow  very  read- 
ily in  dilute  solutions  containing 
sugars  in  addition  to  some  nitrogen- 
ous and  mineral  matters.  Fruits  are 
usually  slightly  acid  and  in  general  do 
not  support  bacterial  growth,  and  so 
it  comes  about  that  canned  fruits 
are  more  commonly  fermented  by 
yeasts  than  by  bacteria. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        17 

Some  vegetable  foods  have  so  much 
acid  and  so  little  nitrogenous  sub- 
stance that  very  few  bacteria  or 
yeasts  attack  them.  Lemons,  cran- 
berries and  rhubarb  belong  to  this 
class. 

Temperature  is  an  important  fac- 
tor in  the  growth  of  bacteria  and 
yeasts.  There  are  many  kinds  of 
these  organisms,  and  each  kind  grows 
best  at  a  certain  temperature,  some  at 
a  very  low  one  and  others  at  one  as 
high  as  125°  F.,  or  more.  However, 
most  kinds  of  bacteria  are  destroyed 
if  exposed  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
to  the  temperature  of  boiling  water 
(212**  F.) ;  but,  if  the  bacteria  are 
spore  producers,  cooking  must  be  con- 
tinued for  an  hour  or  more  to  insure 
their  complete  destruction.  Gener- 
ally speaking,  in  order  to  kill  the 
spores  the  temperature  must  be 
higher  than  that  of  boiling  water,  or 
the  article  to  be  preserved  must  be 


18  CANNED  FRUITS 

cooked  for  about  two  hours  at  a  tem- 
perature of  212*'  F.,  or  a  shorter  time 
at  a  higher  temperature  under  pres- 
sure. Yeasts  and  their  spores  are, 
however,  more  easily  destroyed  by 
heat  than  bacteria  spores.  Hence, 
fruits  containing  little  nitrogenous 
material  are  more  easily  protected 
from  fermentation  than  nitrogenous 
foods  in  which  in  general  fermenta- 
tion is  caused  by  bacteria.  Of  course, 
it  is  not  possible  to  know  what  kinds 
of  organisms  are  in  the  food  one  is 
about  to  can  or  bottle;  but  we  do 
know  that  most  fruits  are  not  favor- 
able to  the  growth  of  bacteria,  and, 
as  a  rule,  the  yeasts  which  grow  in 
fruits  and  fruit  juice  can  be  de- 
stroyed by  cooking  ten  or  fifteen  min- 
utes at  a  temperature  of  212°  F.  If 
no  living  organisms  are  left,  and  the 
sterilization  of  all  appliances  has  been 
thorough,  there  is  no  reason  why  the 
fruit,  if  properly  sealed,  should  not 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         19 

keep,  with  but  slight  change  of  tex- 
ture or  flavor,  for  a  year  or  longer, 
although  canned  fruits  undergo  grad- 
ual change  and  deterioration  even  un- 
der the  most  favorable  conditions. 

When  fruit  is  preserved  with  a 
large  amount  of  sugar  (a  pound  of 
sugar  to  a  pound  of  fruit)  it  does 
not  need  to  be  hermetically  sealed  to 
protect  it  from  bacteria  and  yeasts, 
because  the  thick,  sugary  sirup 
formed  is  not  favorable  to  their 
growth.  However,  the  self-sealing 
jars  are  much  better  than  keeping 
such  fruit  in  large  receptacles,  from 
which  it  is  taken  as  needed,  because 
molds  grow  freely  on  moist,  sugary 
substances  exposed  to  the  air. 


20 CANNED  FRUITS 

Molds  and  Molding. 

Every  housekeeper  is  familiar  with 
molds,  which,  under  favorable  con- 
ditions of  warmth  and  moisture,  grow 
upon  almost  any  kind  of  organic  ma- 
terial. This  is  seen  in  damp,  warm 
weather,  when  molds  form  in  a  short 
time  on  all  sorts  of  starchy  foods, 
such  as  boiled  potatoes,  bread,  mush, 
etc.,  as  well  as  fresh,  canned,  and 
preserved  fruits. 

Molds  develop  from  spores  which 
are  always  floating  about  in  the  air. 
When  a  spore  falls  upon  a  substance 
containing  moisture  and  suitable 
food  it  sends  out  a  line  thread, 
which  branches  and  works  its  way 
over  and  into  the  attacked  substance. 
In  a  short  time  spores  are  produced 
and  the  work  of  reproduction  goes  on. 

In  the  first  stages  molds  are  white 
or  light  gray  and  hardly  noticeable; 
but  when  spores  develop  the  growth 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         21 

gradually  becomes  colored.  In  fact, 
the  conditions  of  advanced  growth 
might  be  likened  to  those  of  a  flower 
garden.  The  threads — mycelium — 
might  be  likened  to  the  roots  of 
plants  and  the  spores  to  the  flower 
and  seeds. 

Mold  spores  are  very  light  and  are 
blown  about  by  the  wind.  They  are  a 
little  heavier  than  air,  and  drop  on 
shelves,  tables,  and  floor,  and  are 
easily  set  in  motion  again  by  the 
movement  of  a  brush,  duster,  etc.  If 
one  of  these  spores  drops  on  a  jar  of 
preserves  or  a  tumbler  of  jelly,  it 
will  germinate  if  there  be  warmth 
and  moisture  enough  in  the  store- 
room. Molds  do  not  ordinarily  cause 
fermentation  of  canned  foods,  al- 
though they  are  the  common  cause  of 
the  decay  of  raw  fruits.  They  are  not 
as  injurious  to  canned  goods  as  are 
bacteria  and  yeasts.  They  do  not 
penetrate  deeply  into  preserves   or 


22  CANNED  FRUITS 

jellies,  or  into  liquids  or  semiliquids, 
but  if  given  time  they  will,  at  ordi- 
nary room  temperature,  work  all 
through  suitable  solid  substances 
which  contain  moisture.  Nearly 
every  housekeeper  has  seen  this  in 
the  molding  of  a  loaf  of  bread  or 
cake. 

In  the  work  of  canning,  preserv- 
ing, and  jelly  making  it  is  important 
that  the  food  shall  be  protected  from 
the  growth  of  molds,  as  well  as  the 
growth  of  yeasts  and  hacteria. 

To  kill  mold  spores  food  must  be 
exposed  to  a  temperature  from  ISC'* 
F.  to  212°  F.  After  this  it  should  be 
kept  in  a  cool,  dry  place  and  covered 
carefully  that  no  floating  spore  can 
find  lodgment  on  its  surface. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         23 

Sterilization. 

To  sterilize  a  substance  or  thing 
is  to  destroy  all  life  and  sources  of 
life  in  and  about  it.  In  following  the 
brief  outline  of  the  structure  and 
work  of  bacteria,  yeasts,  and  molds, 
it  has  been  seen  that  damage  to  foods 
comes  through  the  growth  of  these 
organisms  on  or  in  the  food;  also 
that  if  such  organisms  are  exposed 
to  a  temperature  of  212°  F.,  life  v/ill 
be  destroyed,  but  that  spores  and  a 
few  resisting  bacteria  are  not  de- 
stroyed at  a  temperature  of  212"  F., 
unless  exposed  to  it  for  two  or  more 
hours. 

Bacteria  and  yeasts,  which  are  in- 
timately mixed  with  food,  are  not 
as  easily  destroyed  as  are  those  on 
smooth  surfaces,  such  as  the  utensils 
and  jars  employed  in  the  preparation 
of  the  food. 

Since  air  and  water,  as  well  as  the 


24  CANNED  FRUITS 

foods,  contain  bacteria  and  yeasts, 
and  may  contain  mold  spores,  all 
utensils  used  in  the  process  of  pre- 
serving foods  are  liable  to  be  con- 
taminated with  these  organisms. 
For  this  reason  all  appliances,  as  well 
as  food,  must  be  sterilized. 

Stewpans,  spoons,  strainers,  etc., 
may  be  put  on  the  fire  in  cold  or  boil- 
ing water  and  boiled  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes.  Tumblers,  bottles,  glass 
jars,  and  covers  should  be  put  in  cold 
water  and  heated  gradually  to  the 
boiling  point,  and  then  boiled  for  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes.  The  jars  must  be 
taken  one  at  a  time  from  the  boiling 
water  at  the  moment  they  are  to  be 
filled  with  the  boiling  food.  The  work 
should  be  done  in  a  well  swept  and 
dusted  room,  and  the  clothing  of  the 
workers  and  the  towels  used  should 
be  clean.  The  food  to  be  sterilized 
should  be  perfectly  sound  and  clean. 

As   in  this   book  we   have   only 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         25 

to  do  with  fruits,  it  will  not  be  nec- 
essary to  say  anything  more  about 
long  cooking  at  a  high  temperature. 
In  canning  fruits  it  is  well  to  re- 
member that  the  product  is  more  sat- 
isfactory if  heated  gradually  to  the 
boiling  point  and  then  cooked  the 
given  time. 


26  CANNED  FRUITS 


Utensils  Needed  for  Canning  and 
Preserving. 

In  preserving,  canning,  and  jelly 
making  iron  or  tin  utensils  should 
never  be  used.  The  fruit  acids  at- 
tack these  metals  and  so  give  a  bad 
color  and  metallic  taste  to  the  pro- 
ducts. The  preserving  kettles  should 
be  porcelain  lined,  enameled,  or  of  a 
metal  that  will  not  form  troublesome 
chemical  combinations  with  fruit 
juices.  The  kettles  should  be  broad 
rather  than  deep,  as  the  fruit  should 
not  be  cooked  in  deep  layers.  Nearly 
all  the  necessary  utensils  may  be 
found  in  some  ware  not  subject  to 
chemical  action.  A  list  of  the  most 
essential  articles  follows: 

Two  preserving  kettles,  1  colander, 
1  fine  strainer,  1  skimmer,  1  ladle,  1 
large-mouthed  funnel,  1  wire  frying 
basket,  1  wire  sieve,  4  long-handled 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         27 

wooden  spoons,  1  wooden  masher,  a 
few  large  pans,  knives  for  paring 
fruit  (plated  if  possible),  flat-bot- 
tomed clothes  boiler,  wooden  or  wil- 
low rack  to  put  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boiler,  iron  tripod  or  ring,  squares  of 
cheese  cloth.  In  addition,  it  would 
be  well  to  have  a  flannel  straining 
bag,  a  frame  on  which  to  hang  the 
bag,  a  sirup  gauge  and  a  glass  cylin- 
der, a  fruit  pricker,  and  plenty  of 
clean  towels. 

The  regular  kitchen  pans  will  an- 
swer for  holding  and  washing  the 
fruit.  Mixing  bowls  and  stone  crocks 
can  be  used  for  holding  the  fruit  juice 
and  pared  fruit.  When  fruit  is  to  be 
plunged  into  boiling  water  for  a  few 
minutes  before  paring,  the  ordinary 
stewpans  may  be  employed  for  this 
purpose. 

Scales  are  a  desirable  article  in 
every  kitchen,  as  weighing  is  much 


28 


CANNED  FRUITS 


more  accur- 
ate than  the 
ordinary 
measuri  n  g. 
But,  know- 
ing that  a 
large  per- 
centage of 
the  house- 
keepers    do 

not  possess  scales,  it  has  seemed  wise 

to    give    all    the    rules    in   measure 

rather  than 

weight. 
If  canning 

is    done    by 

the    oven 

process,      a 

large    sheet 

of  asbestos,  for  the  bottom  of  the 

oven,  will  prevent  the  cracking  of 

jars. 

The  wooden  rack,  on  which  the 

bottles   rest    in   the   washboiler,   is 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         29 

made  in  this  manner:  Have  two 
strips  of  wood  measuring  1  inch  high, 
1  inch  wide,  and  2  inches  shorter 
than  the  length  of 
the  boiler.  On  these 
pieces  of  wood  tack 
thin  strips  of  wood 
that  are  IV2  inches 
shorter  than  the 
width  of  the  boiler.  These  cross- 
strips  should  be  about  1  inch  wide, 
and  there  should  be  an  inch  between 
two  strips.  This  rack  will  support 
the  jars  and  will  admit  the  free  circu- 
lation of  boiling  water  about  them. 
Young  willow  branches,  woven  into  a 
mat,  also  make  a  good  bed  for  bottles 
and  jars. 

The  wire  basket  is  a  saver  of  time 
and  strength  (fig.  1).  The  fruit  to 
be  peeled  is  put  into  the  basket,  which 
is  lowered  into  a  deep  kettle  partially 


30 CANNED  FRUITS 

filled  with  boiling  water.  After  a  few 
minutes  the  basket  is  lifted  from  the 
boiling  water,  plunged  for  a  moment 
into  cold  water,  and  the  fruit  is  ready 
to  have  the  skin  drawn  off. 

A  strong  wire  sieve  is  a  necessity 
when  purees  of  fruit  are  to  be  made 
(fig.  2).  These  sieves  are  known  as 
puree  sieves.  They  are  made  of 
strong  wire  and  in  addition  have  sup- 
ports of  still  stronger  wire. 

A  fruit  pricker  is  easily  made  and 
saves  time  (fig.  3).  Cut  a  piece  half 
an  inch  deep  from  a  broad  cork; 
press  through  this  a  dozen  or  more 
coarse  darning  needles ;  tack  the  cork 
on  a  piece  of  board.  Strike  the  fruit 
on  the  bed  of  needles,  and  you  have  a 
dozen  holes  at  once.  When  the  work 
is  finished,  remove  the  cork  from 
the  board,  wash  and  dry  thoroughly. 
A  little  oil  on  the  needles  will  prevent 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        31 

rusting.  With  needles  of  the  size 
suggested  there  is  little  danger  of 
the  points  breaking,  but  it  is  worth 
remembering  that  the  use  of  prick- 
ing machines  was  abandoned  in  cur- 
ing prunes  on  a  commercial  scale  in 
California  because  the  steel  needles 
broke  and  remained  in  the  fruit. 

A  wooden  vegetable  masher  is  in- 
dispensable when  making 
jellies  and  purees,  (fig.  4) . 

A  sirup  gauge  and  glass 
cylinder  (fig.  5  A  and  B) 
are  not  essential  to  pre- 
serving, canning,  and  jelly- 
making,  but  they  are  valu- 
able aids  in  getting  the 
right  proportion  of  sugar 
for  fruit  or  jelly. 
The  sirup  gauge  costs 
about  50  cents  and  the  cylinder  about 
25   cents.     A   lipped   cylinder  that 


32 


CANNED  FRUITS 


holds  a  little  over 
a  gill  is  the  best 
size. 

Small  iron  rings, 
such  as  sometimes 
come  off  the  hub  of 
cart  wheels,  may  be 
used  instead  of  a 
tripod  for  slightly 
raising  the  pre- 
serving kettles  from 
the  hot  stove  or 
range. 

To  make  a  flan- 
nel straining  bag, 
take  a  square  piece  of  flannel  (27  by 
27  inches  is  a  good  size),  fold  it  to 
make  a  three-cornered  bag,  stitch  one 
of  the  sides,  cut  the  top  square  across, 
bind  the  opening  with  strong,  broad 
tape,  stitch  on  this  binding  four 
tapes  with  which  to  tie  the  bag  to  a 
frame. 

To  use  this  bag,  tie  it  to  a  strong 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        83 

frame  or  to  the  backs  of  two  kitchen 
chairs.  If  the  chairs  are  used,  place 
some  heavy  articles  in  them;  or  the 
bag  may  hang  on  a  pole  (a  broom 
handle)  which  rests  on  the  backs  of 
the  chairs.  A  high  stool  turned  up- 
side down  makes  a  good  support  for 
the  bag.  Put  a  bowl  on  the  floor 
under  the  bag,  then  pour  in  the  fruit 
juice,  which  will  pass  through  com- 
paratively clear. 

Before  it  is  used  the  bag  should  be 
washed  and  boiled  in  clear  water. 


34 CANNED  FRUITS 

Selection  and  Preparation  of  the 
Fruit 

The  selection  of  fruit  is  one  of  the 
first  steps  in  obtaining  successful  re- 
sults. The  flavor  of  fruit  is  not  de- 
veloped until  it  is  fully  ripe,  but  the 
time  at  which  the  fruit  is  at  its  best 
for  canning,  jelly  making,  etc.,  is  just 
before  it  is  perfectly  ripe.  In  all  soft 
fruits  the  fermentative  stage  follows 
closely  upon  the  perfectly  ripe  stage ; 
therefore  it  is  better  to  use  under- 
ripe rather  than  overripe  fruit.  This 
is  especially  important  in  jelly  mak- 
ing for  another  reason  also :  In  over- 
ripe fruit  the  pectin  begins  to  lose 
its  jelly-making  quality. 

All  fruits  should,  if  possible,  be 
freshly  picked  for  preserving,  can- 
ning, and  jelly  making.  No  imper- 
fect fruit  should  be  canned  or  pre- 
served. Gnarly  fruit  may  be  used 
for  jellies  or  marmalades  by  cutting 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        SS 

out  defective  portions.  Bruised 
spots  should  be  cut  out  of  peaches 
and  pears.  In  selecting  small-seeded 
fruits,  like  berries,  for  canning,  those 
having  a  small  portion  of  seed  to  pulp 
should  be  chosen.  In  dry  seasons 
berries  have  a  larger  proportion  of 
seeds  to  pulp  than  in  a  wet  or  normal 
season,  and  it  is  not  wise  to  can  or 
preserve  such  fruit  unless  the  seeds 
are  removed.  The  fruit  should  be 
rubbed  through  a  sieve  that  is  fine 
enough  to  keep  back  the  seeds.  The 
strained  pulp  can  be  preserved  as  a 
puree  or  marmalade. 

When  fruit  is  brought  into  the 
house  put  it  where  it  will  keep  cool 
and  crisp  until  you  are  ready  to 
use  it. 

The  preparation  of  fruit  for  the 
various  processes  of  preserving  is 
the  second  important  step.  System 
will  do  much  to  lighten  the  work. 

Begin  by  having  the  kitchen  swept 


B6  CANNED  FRUITS 

and  dusted  thoroughly,  that  there 
need  not  be  a  large  number  of  mold 
spores  floating  about.  Dust  with  a 
damp  cloth.  Have  plenty  of  hot 
water  and  pans  in  which  jars  and 
utensils  may  be  sterilized.  Have  at 
hand  all  necessary  utensils,  towels, 
sugar,  etc. 

Prepare  only  as  much  fruit  as  can 
be  cooked  while  it  still  retains  its 
color  and  crispness.  Before  begin- 
ning to  pare  fruit  have  some  sirup 
ready,  if  that  is  to  be  used,  or  If 
sugar  is  to  be  added  to  the  fruit  have 
it  weighed  or  measured. 

Decide  upon  the  amount  of  fruit 
you  will  cook  at  one  time,  then  have 
two  bowls — one  for  the  sugar  and 
one  for  the  fruit — that  will  hold  just 
the  quantity  of  each.  As  the  fruit 
is  pared  or  hulled,  as  the  case  may 
be,  drop  it  into  its  measuring  bowL 
When  the  measure  is  full  put  the 
fruit  and  sugar  in  the  preserving  ket- 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        37 

tie.  While  this  is  cooking  another 
measure  may  be  prepared  and  put  in 
the  second  preserving  kettle.  In  this 
way  the  fruit  is  cooked  quickly  and 
put  in  the  jars  and  sealed  at  once, 
leaving  the  pans  ready  to  sterilize 
another  set  of  jars. 

If  the  fruit  is  to  be  preserved  or 
canned  v^^ith  sirup,  it  may  be  put 
into  the  jars  as  fast  as  it  is  pre- 
pared. As  soon  as  a  jar  is  full,  pour 
in  enough  sirup  to  cover  it. 

If  several  people  are  helping  and 
large  kettles  are  being  used  for  the 
preserving,  or  where  fruit  (like 
quinces  and  hard  pears)  must  be  first 
boiled  in  clear  water,  the  pared  fruit 
should  be  dropped  into  a  bowl  of  cold 
water  made  slightly  acid  with  lemon 
juice  (one  tablespoonful  of  lemon 
juice  to  a  quart  of  water) .  This  will 
keep  the  fruit  white. 

All  large,  hard  fruit  must  be 
washed     before     paring.       Qumces 


38  CANNED  FRUITS 

should  be  rubbed  with  a  coarse  towel 
before  they  are  washed. 

If  berries  must  be  washed,  do  the 
work  before  stemming  or  hulling 
them.  The  best  way  to  wash  berries 
is  to  put  a  small  quantity  into  a  col- 
ander and  pour  cold  water  over  them ; 
then  turn  them  on  a  sieve  to  drain. 
All  this  work  must  be  done  quickly 
that  the  fruit  may  not  absorb  much 
water. 

Do  not  use  the  fingers  for  hulling 
strawberries.  A  simple  huller  can  be 
bought  for  five  cents. 

If  practicable  pare  fruit  with  a  sil- 
ver knife,  so  as  not  to  stain  or  darken 
the  product.  The  quickest  and  eas- 
iest way  to  peel  peaches  is  to  drop 
them  into  boiling  water  for  a  few 
minutes.  Have  a  deep  kettle  a  Httle 
more  than  half  full  of  boihng  w^ater; 
fill  a  wire  basket  with  peaches;  put 
a  long-handled  spoon  under  the  han- 
dle of  the  basket  and  lower  into  the 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         39 

boiling  water.  At  the  end  of  three 
minutes  lift  the  basket  out  by  slip- 
ping the  spoon  under  the  handle. 
Plunge  the  basket  for  a  moment  into 
a  pan  of  cold  water.  Let  the  peaches 
drain  a  minute,  then  peel.  Plums 
and  tomatoes  may  be  peeled  in  the 
same  manner. 

If  the  peaches  are  to  be  canned  in 
sirup,  put  them  at  once  into  the  ster- 
ilized jars.  They  may  be  canned 
whole  or  in  halves.  If  in  halves,  re- 
move nearly  all  the  stones  or  pits. 
For  the  sake  of  the  flavor,  a  few 
stones  should  be  put  in  each  jar. 

When  preparing  cherries,  plums,  or 
crab  apples  for  canning  or  preserv- 
ing, the  stem  or  a  part  of  it  may  be 
left  on  the  fruit. 

When  preparing  to  make  jelly  have 
ready  the  cheese-cloth  strainer,  enam- 
eled colander,  wooden  spoons,  vege- 
table masher,  measures,  tumblers, 
preserving  kettles,  and  sugar. 


40  CANNED  FRUITS 

If  currant  jelly  is  to  be  made,  free 
the  fruit  from  leaves  and  large  stems. 
If  the  jelly  is  to  be  made  from  any 
of  the  other  small  fruits,  the  stems 
and  hulls  must  be  removed. 

When  the  jelly  is  to  be  made  from 
any  of  the  large  fruits  the  important 
part  of  the  preparation  is  to  have  the 
fruit  washed  clean,  then  to  remove 
the  stem  and  the  blossom  end.  Near- 
ly all  the  large  fruits  are  better  for 
having  the  skin  left  on.  Apples  and 
pears  need  not  be  cored.  There  is  so 
much  gummy  substance  in  the  cores 
of  quinces  that  it  is  best  not  to  use 
this  portion  in  making  fine  jelly. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         41 


Making  Sirup  For  Use  in  Canning 
and  Preserving. 

Such  sirups  as  are  used  in  canning 
and  preserving  are  made  with  vary- 
ing proportions  of  water  and  sugar. 
When  the  proportion  of  sugar  is  large 
and  that  of  the  water  small  the  sirup 
is  said  to  be  heavy.  When  the  water 
predominates  the  sirup  is  light. 

There  are  several  methods  of  meas- 
uring the  proportion  of  sugar  in  a 
sirup.  The  most  scientific  and  accu- 
rate is  with  the  sirup  gauge.  Care- 
ful measurement  or  weighing  is,  how- 
ever, quite  satisfactory  for  all  ordi- 
nary work  if  the  sirup  need  not  be 
boiled  a  long  time.  In  boiling  the 
water  evaporates  and  the  sirup  grows 
thicker  and  richer.  The  amount  of 
evaporation  depends  upon  the  surface 
exposed  and  the  pressure  of  the  at- 
mosphere.   For  example,  if  a  large 


42  CANNED  FRUITS 

quantity  of  sirup  is  boiled  in  a  deep 
kettle  the  evaporation  will  not  be  rap- 
id. If  the  same  quantity  of  sirup 
were  boiled  the  same  length  of  time 
in  a  broad,  shallow  kettle  the  water 
would  evaporate  more  rapidly  and  the 
sirup  would  be  thicker  and  heavier. 
If  a  given  quantity  of  sirup  were 
boiled  the  same  length  of  time  in  a 
high  altitude,  Colorado  for  example, 
and  at  the  sea  level,  it  would  be  found 
that  the  sirup  boiled  at  the  sea  level 
would  be  thicker  and  less  in  volume 
than  that  boiled  in  Colorado.  From 
this  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is  difficult 
to  say  what  proportion  of  sugar  a  sir- 
up will  contain  after  it  has  been  boil- 
ing ten  or  more  minutes.  Of  course 
by  the  use  of  the  sirup  gauge  the  pro- 
portion of  sugar  in  a  sirup  may  be  as- 
certained at  any  stage  of  the  boiling. 
After  all,  however,  it  is  possible  to 
measure  sugar  and  water  so  that  you 
can  know  the  percentage  of  sugar 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         43 

when  the  sirup  begins  to  boiL  The 
following  statement  gives  the  per- 
centage of  sugar  at  the  time  when  the 
sirup  has  been  boiling  one  minute  and 
also  what  kind  of  sirup  is  suitable  for 
the  various  kinds  of  fruit : 

One  pint  sugar  and  1  gill  of  water 
gives  sirup  of  40°  density:  Use  for 
preserved  strawberries  and  cherries. 

One  pint  sugar  and  one-half  pint 
water  gives  sirup  of  32°  density. 

One  pint  sugar  and  3  gills  water 
gives  sirup  of  28°  density:  Use  either 
this  or  the  preceding  for  preserved 
peaches,  plums,  quinces,  currants,  etc. 

One  pint  sugar  and  1  pint  water 
gives  sirup  of  24"*  density:  Use  for 
canned  acid  fruits. 

One  pint  sugar  and  IV2  pints  water 
gives  sirup  of  17°  density. 

One  pint  sugar  and  2  pints  water 
gives  sirup  of  14°  density:  Use  either 
of  these  two  light  sirups  for  canned 
pears,    peaches,    sweet    plums,    and 


44  CANNED  FRUITS 

cherries,  raspberries,  blueberries,  and 
blackberries. 

The  lightest  sirups  may  be  used  for 
filling  up  the  jars  after  they  are  tak- 
en from  the  oven  or  boiler.  The  pro- 
cess of  making  a  sirup  is  very  simple, 
but  there  are  a  few  points  that  must 
be  observed  if  sirup  and  fruit  are  to 
be  perfect.  Put  the  sugar  and  water 
in  the  saucepan  and  stir  on  the  stove 
until  all  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  Heat 
slowly  to  the  boiling  point  and  boil 
gently  without  stirring.  The  length 
of  time  that  the  sirup  should  boil  will 
depend  upon  how  rich  it  is  to  be.  All 
sirups  are  better  for  boiling  from  ten 
to  thirty  minutes.  If  rich  sirups  are 
boiled  hard,  jarred,  or  stirred  they 
are  apt  to  crystallize.  The  sirup  may 
be  made  a  day  or  two  in  advance  of 
canning  time.  The  light  sirups  will 
not  keep  long  unless  sealed,  but  the 
heavy  sirups  keep  well  if  covered  well. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         45 

Use  of  the  Sirup  Gauge. 

The  sirup  gauge  is  a  graduated 
glass  tube,  with  a  weighted  bulb,  that 
registers  from  0°  to  50°,  and  that  is 
employed  to  determine  the  quantity 
of  sugar  contained  in  a  sirup. 

If  this  gauge  is  placed  in  pure  wa- 
ter the  bulb  will  rest  on  the  bottom  of 
the  cylinder  or  other  container.  If 
sugar  be  dissolved  in  the  water  the 
gauge  will  begin  to  float.  The  more 
sugar  there  is  dissolved  in  the  water 
the  higher  the  gauge  will  rise.  In 
making  tests  it  is  essential  that  the 
sirup  should  be  deep  enough  to  reach 
the  zero  point  of  the  gauge.  If  a 
glass  cylinder  holding  about  half  a 
gill  is  filled  to  about  two-thirds  its 
height,  and  the  gauge  is  then  placed 
in  the  cylinder,  the  quantity  of  sugar 
in  the  sirup  will  be  registered  on  the 
gauge. 

Experiments    have    demonstrated 


46  CANNED  FRUITS 

that  when  sugar  is  dissolved  and 
heated  in  fruit  juice,  if  the  sirup 
gauge  registers  25%  the  proportion  of 
sugar  is  exactly  right  for  combining 
with  the  pectin  bodies  to  make  jelly. 
The  sirup  gauge  and  the  glass  cylin- 
der must  both  be  heated  gradually 
that  the  hot  sirup  may  not  break 
them.  If  the  gauge  registers  more 
than  25°,  add  a  little  more  fruit  juice. 
If  on  the  other  hand,  it  registers  less 
than  25"*,  add  more  sugar.  In  mak- 
ing sirups  for  canning  and  preserving 
fruits,  the  exact  amount  of  sugar  in 
a  sirup  may  be  ascertained  at  any 
stage  of  boiling,  and  the  sirup  be 
made  heavier  by  adding  sugar,  or 
lighter  by  adding  water,  as  the  case 
demands. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         47 

Canning  Fruit. 

This  method  of  preserving  fruit  for 
home  use  is  from  all  points  the  most 
desirable.  It  is  the  easiest  and  com- 
monly considered  the  most  economical 
and  the  best,  because  the  fruit  is  kept 
in  a  soft  and  juicy  condition  in  which 
it  is  believed  to  be  easily  digested. 
The  wise  housekeeper  will  can  her 
principal  fruit  supply,  making  only 
enough  rich  preserves  to  serve  for 
variety  and  for  special  occasions. 

The  success  of  canning  depends  up- 
on absolute  sterilization.  If  the  prop- 
er care  is  exercised  there  need  be  no 
failure,  except  in  rare  cases,  when  a 
spore  has  developed  in  the  can.  There 
are  several  methods  of  canning;  and 
while  the  principle  is  the  same  in  all 
methods,  the  conditions  under  which 
the  housekeeper  must  do  her  work 
may,  in  her  case,  make  one  method 
more  convenient  than  another.  For 
this  reason  three  will  be  given  which 


48  CANNED  FRUITS 

are  considered  the  best  and  easiest. 
These  are:  Cooking  the  fruit  in  the 
jars  in  an  oven;  cooking  the  fruit  in 
the  jars  in  boihng  water;  and  stew- 
ing the  fruit  before  it  is  put  in  the 
jars.  The  quantity  of  sugar  may  be 
increased  if  the  fruit  is  liked  sweet. 

It  is  most  important  that  the  jars, 
covers,  and  rubber  rings  be  in  perfect 
condition.  Examine  each  jar  and 
cover  to  see  that  there  is  no  defect  in 
it.  Use  only  fresh  rubber  rings,  for 
if  the  rubber  is  not  soft  and  elastic 
the  sealing  will  not  be  perfect.  Each 
year  numbers  of  jars  of  fruit  are  lost 
because  of  the  false  economy  in  using 
an  old  ring  that  has  lost  its  softness 
and  elasticity.  Having  the  jars,  cov- 
ers, and  rings  in  perfect  condition, 
the  next  thing  is  to  wash  and  sterilize 
them. 

Have  two  pans  partially  filled  with 
cold  water.  Put  some  jars  in  one, 
laying  them  on  their  sides,  and  some 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        49 

covers  in  the  other.  Place  the  pans 
on  the  stove  where  the  water  will 
heat  to  the  boiling  point.  The  water 
should  boil  at  least  ten  or  fifteen  min- 
utes. Have  on  the  stove  a  shallow 
milk  pan  in  which  there  is  about  2 
inches  of  boiling  water.  Sterilize  the 
cups,  spoons,  and  funnel,  if  you  use 
one,  by  immersing  in  boiling  water 
for  a  few  minutes.  When  ready  to 
put  the  prepared  fruit  in  the  jars  slip 
a  broad  skimmer  under  a  jar  and 
lift  it  and  drain  free  of  water.  Set 
the  jar  in  the  shallow  milk  pan  and 
fill  to  overflowing  with  the  boiling 
fruit.  Slip  a  silver-plated  knife  or 
the  handle  of  a  spoon  around  the  in- 
side of  the  jar,  that  the  fruit  and 
juice  may  be  packed  solidly.  Wipe 
the  rim  of  the  jar,  dip  the  rubber  ring 
in  boiling  water  and  put  it  smoothly 
on  the  jar,  then  put  on  the  cover  and 
fasten.  Place  the  jar  on  a  board  and 
out  of  a  draft  of  cold  air.    The  work 


50 CANNED  FRUITS 

of  filling  and  sealing  must  be  done 
rapidly,  and  the  fruit  must  be  boiling 
hot  when  it  is  put  into  the  jars.  If 
screw  covers  are  used,  it  will  be  nec- 
essary to  tighten  them  after  the  glass 
has  cooled  and  contracted.  When  the 
fruit  is  cold  wipe  the  jars  with  a  wet 
cloth.  Paste  on  the  labels,  if  any, 
and  put  the  jars  on  shelves  in  a  cool, 
dark  closet. 

In  canning,  any  proportion  of  sugar 
may  be  used,  or  fruit  may  be  canned 
without  the  addition  of  any  sugar. 
However,  that  which  is  designed  to  be 
served  as  a  sauce  should  have  the 
sugar  cooked  with  it.  Fruit  intend- 
ed for  cooking  purposes  need  not  have 
the  sugar  added  to  it. 

Juicy  fruits,  such  as  berries  and 
cherries,  require  little  or  no  water. 
Strawberries  are  better  not  to  have 
water  added  to  them.  The  only  ex- 
ception to  this  is  when  they  are 
cooked  in  a  heavy  sirup. 


Recipes 


RASPBERRIES 

12  quarts  of  raspberries 
2  quarts  of  sugar. 

Put  2  quarts  of  the  fruit  in  the  pre- 
serving kettle;  heat  slowly  on  the 
stove ;  crush  with  a  wooden  vegetable 
masher;  spread  a  square  of  cheese- 
cloth over  a  bowl,  and  turn  the 
crushed  berries  and  juice  into  it. 
Press  out  the  juice,  which  turn  into 
the  preserving  kettle.  Add  the  su- 
gar and  put  on  the  stove;  stir  until 
the  sugar  is  dissolved.  When  the 
sirup  begins  to  boil,  add  the  remain- 
ing 10  quarts  of  berries.  Let  them 
heat  slowly.  Boil  ten  minutes,  count- 
ing from  the  time  they  begin  to  bub- 
ble. Skim  well  while  boiling.  Put  in 
cans  and  seal  as  directed. 
61 


62 CANNED  FRUITS 

RASPBERRIES  AND  CURRANTS 

10  quarts  of  raspberries 
3  quarts  of  currants 
2V^  quarts  of  sugar. 

Heat,  crush,  and  press  the  juice 
from  the  currants  and  proceed  as  di- 
rected for  raspberries. 

BLACKBERRIES 

The  same  as  for  raspberries. 


CURRANTS 

12  quarts  of  currants 
4  quarts  of  sugar. 

Treat  the  same  as  for  raspberries. 


GOOSEBERRIES 

6  quarts  of  berries 
1%  quarts  of  sugar 
1  pint  of  water. 

For  green  gooseberries  dissolve  the 
sugar  in  the  water,  then  add  the  fruit 
and    cook    fifteen    minutes.      Ripe 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         53 

gooseberries  are  to  be  treated  the 
same  as  the  green  fruit,  but  use  only 
half  as  much  water.  Green  goose- 
berries may  also  be  canned  the  same 
as  rhubarb  (see  p.  55). 

BLUEBERRIES 

12  quarts  of  berries 
1  quart  of  sugar 
I  pint  of  water. 

Put  water,  berries,  and  sugar  in 
the  preserving  kettle;  heat  slowly. 
Boil  fifteen  minutes,  counting  from 
the  time  the  contents  of  the  kettle 
begin  to  bubble. 

CHERRIES 

6  quarts  of  cherries 

11/^  quarts  of  sugar 

y^  pint  of  water. 

Measure   the    cherries    after   the 

stems   have   been   removed.     Stone 

them  or  not,  as  you  please.    If  you 

stone  them  be  careful  to  save  all  the 


CANNED  FRUITS 


juice.  Put  the  sugar  and  water  in 
the  preserving  kettle  and  stir  over 
the  fire  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved. 
Put  in  the  cherries  and  heat  slowly  to 
the  boiling  point.  Boil  ten  minutes, 
skimming  carefully. 


GRAPES 

6  quarts  of  grapes 
1  quart  of  sugar 
1  gill  of  water. 

Squeeze  the  pulp  of  the  grapes  out 
of  the  skins.  Cook  the  pulp  five  min- 
utes and  then  rub  through  a  sieve 
that  is  fine  enough  to  hold  back  the 
seeds.  Put  the  water,  skins,  and  pulp 
into  the  preserving  kettle  and  heat 
slowly  to  the  boiling  point.  Skim  the 
fruit  and  then  add  the  sugar.  Boil 
fifteen  minutes* 

Sweet  grapes  may  be  canned  with 
less  sugar ;  very  sour  ones  may  have 
more. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         55 

RHUBARB 

Cut  the  rhubarb  when  it  is  young 
and  tender.  Wash  it  thoroughly  and 
then  pare;  cut  into  pieces  about  2 
inches  long.  Pack  in  sterilized  jars. 
Fill  the  jars  to  overflowing  with  cold 
water  and  let  them  stand  ten  min- 
utes. Drain  off  the  water  and  fill 
again  to  overflowing  with  fresh  cold 
water.  Seal  with  sterilized  rings  and 
covers.  When  required  for  use,  treat 
the  same  as  fresh  rhubarb. 

Green  gooseberries  may  be  canned 
in  the  same  manner.  Rhubarb  may 
be  cooked  and  canned  with  sugar  in 
the  same  manner  as  gooseberries. 


PEACHES 

8  quarts  of  peaches 
1  quart  of  sugar 
3  quarts  of  water. 

Put  the  sugar  and  water  together 
and  stir  over  the  fire  until  the  sugar 


56  CANNED  FRUITS 

is  dissolved.  When  the  sirup  boils 
skim  it.  Draw  the  kettle  back  where 
the  sirup  will  keep  hot  but  not  boil. 

Pare  the  peaches,  cut  in  halves,  and 
remove  the  stones,  unless  you  prefer 
to  can  the  fruit  whole. 

Put  a  layer  of  the  prepared  fruit 
into  the  preserving  kettle  and  cover 
with  some  of  the  hot  sirup.  When 
the  fruit  begins  to  boil,  skim  care- 
fully. Boil  gently  for  ten  minutes, 
then  put  in  the  jars  and  seal.  If  the 
fruit  is  not  fully  ripe  it  may  require 
a  little  longer  time  to  cook.  It  should 
be  so  tender  that  it  may  be  pierced 
easily  with  a  silver  fork.  It  is  best 
to  put  only  one  layer  of  fruit  in  the 
preserving  kettle.  While  this  is  cook- 
ing the  fruit  for  the  next  batch  may 
be  pared. 

PEARS 

If  the  fruit  is  ripe  it  may  be  treat- 
ed exactly  the  same  as  peaches.    If, 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        57 

on  the  other  hand,  it  is  rather  hard 
it  must  be  cooked  until  so  tender  that 
a  silver  fork  will  pierce  it  readily. 


QUINCES 

4  quarts  of  pared,  cored,  and  quar- 
tered quinces 
IVz  quarts  of  sugar 
2  quarts  of  water. 

Rub  the  fruit  hard  with  a  coarse, 
crash  towel,  then  wash  and  drain. 
Pare,  quarter,  and  core;  drop'  the 
pieces  into  cold  water  (see  p.  37). 
Put  the  fruit  in  the  preserving  kettle 
with  cold  water  to  cover  it  generous- 
ly. Heat  slowly  and  simmer  gently 
until  tender.  The  pieces  will  not  all 
require  the  same  time  to  cook.  Take 
each  piece  up  as  soon  as  it  is  so  ten- 
der that  a  silver  fork  will  pierce  it 
readily.  Drain  on  a  platter.  Strain 
the  water  in  which  the  fruit  was 


58  CANNED  FRUITS 

cooked  through  cheese-cloth.  Put 
two  quarts  of  the  strained  liquid  and 
the  sugar  into  the  preserving  kettle ; 
stir  over  the  fire  until  the  sugar  is 
dissolved.  When  it  boils  skim  well 
and  put  in  the  cooked  fruit.  Boil 
gently  for  about  twenty  minutes. 


CRAB  APPLES 

6  quarts  of  apples 
IV2  quarts  of  sugar 
2  quarts  of  water. 

Put  the  sugar  and  water  into  the 
preserving  kettle.  Stir  over  the  fire 
until  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  When 
the  sirup  boils  skim  it. 

Wash  the  fruit,  rubbing  the  blos- 
som end  well.  Put  it  in  the  boiling 
sirup,  and  cook  gently  until  tender. 
It  will  take  from  twenty  to  fifty  min- 
utes, depending  upon  the  kind  of  crab 
apples. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         59 

PLUMS 

8  quarts  of  plums 
2  quarts  of  sugar 
1  pint  of  water. 

Nearly  all  kinds  of  plums  can  be 
cooked  with  the  skins  on.  If  it  is 
desired  to  remove  the  skin  of  any  va- 
riety, plunge  them  in  boiling  water 
for  a  few  minutes.  When  the  skins 
are  left  on,  prick  them  thoroughly 
to  prevent  bursting.  (See  fruit  prick- 
er, p.  30.) 

Put  the  sugar  and  water  into  the 
preserving  kettle  and  stir  over  the 
fire  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  Wash 
and  drain  the  plums.  Put  some  of 
the  fruit  in  the  boiling  sirup.  Do  not 
crowd  it.  Cook  five  minutes ;  fill  and 
seal  the  jars.  Put  more  fruit  in  the 
sirup.  Continue  in  this  manner  until 
all  the  fruit  is  done.  It  may  be  that 
there  will  not  be  sufficient  sirup  to- 
ward the  latter  part  of  the  work ;  for 


60  CANNED  FRUITS 

this  reason  it  is  well  to  have  a  little 
extra  sirup  on  the  back  of  the  stove. 


STEWED  TOMATOES 

Wash  the  tomatoes  and  plunge  into 
boihng  water  for  five  minutes.  Pare 
and  slice,  and  then  put  into  the  pre- 
serving kettle;  set  the  kettle  on  an 
iron  ring.  Heat  the  tomatoes  slowly, 
stirring  frequently  from  the  bottom. 
Boil  for  thirty  minutes,  counting 
from  the  time  the  vegetable  begins 
actually  to  boil.  Put  in  sterilized  jars 
and  seal. 


WHOLE  TOMATOES 

8  quarts  of  medium-sized  tomatoes 
4  quarts  of  sliced  tomatoes. 

Put  the  pared  and  sliced  tomatoes 
into  a  stewpan  and  cook  as  directed 
for  stewed  tomatoes.  When  they 
have  been  boiling  twenty  minutes 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         61 

take  from  the  fire  and  rub  through  a 
strainer.     Return  to  the  fire. 

While  the  sliced  tomatoes  are  cook- 
ing, pare  the  whole  tomatoes  and  put 
them  in  sterilized  jars.  Pour  into 
the  jars  enough  of  the  stewed  and 
strained  tomato  to  fill  all  the  inter- 
stices. Put  the  uncovered  jars  in  a 
moderate  oven,  placing  them  on  a 
pad  of  asbestos  or  in  shallow  pans  of 
hot  water.  Let  the  vegetable  cook  in 
the  oven  for  half  an  hour.  Take  from 
the  oven  and  fill  to  overflowing  with 
boiling  hot,  strained  tomato,  then 
seal.  If  there  is  any  of  the  strained 
tomato  left,  can  it  for  sauces. 


CANNED  FRUIT  COOKED  IN  THE 
OVEN 

This  method  of  canning  fruit,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  writer,  is  the  one 
to  be  preferred.  The  work  is  easily 
and  quickly  done,  and  the  fruit  re- 
tains its  shape,  color,  and  flavor  bet- 
ter than  when  cooked  in  the  preserv- 
ing kettle. 

Cover  the  bottom  of  the  oven  with 
a  sheet  of  asbestos,  the  kind  plumb- 
ers employ  in  covering  pipes.  It  is 
very  cheap  and  may  usually  be  found 
at  plumbers'  shops.  If  the  asbestos 
is  not  available,  put  into  the  oven 
shallov/  pans  in  which  there  are  about 
two  inches  of  boiling  water. 

Sterilize  the  jars  and  utensils. 
Make  the  sirup ;  prepare  the  fruit  the 
same  as  for  cooking  in  the  preserving 
kettle.  Fill  the  hot  jars  with  it,  and 
IKJur  in  enough  sirup  to  fill  the  jar 
solidly.  Run  the  blade  of  a  silver- 
plated  knife  around  the  inside  of  the 

62 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         63 

jar.  Place  the  jars  in  the  oven,  eith- 
er on  the  asbestos  or  in  the  pan  of 
water.  The  oven  should  be  moder- 
ately hot.  Cook  the  fruit  ten  min- 
utes; remove  from  the  oven  and  fill 
the  jar  with  boihng  sirup.  Wipe  and 
seal.  Place  the  jars  on  a  board  and 
out  of  a  draft  of  air.  If  the  screw 
covers  are  used  tighten  them  after 
the  glass  has  cooled. 

Large  fruits,  such  as  peaches, 
pears,  quinces,  crab  apples,  etc.,  will 
require  about  a  pint  of  sirup  to  each 
quart  jar  of  fruit.  The  small  fruit 
will  require  a  little  over  half  a  pint 
of  sirup. 

The  amount  of  sugar  in  each  quart 
of  sirup  should  be  regulated  to  suit 
the  fruit  with  which  it  is  to  be  used. 
The  data  on  page  43  will  be  a  guide. 
The  quantities  given  will  not  make 
the  fruit  very  sweet.  The  quantity 
of  sugar  may  be  increased  or  dimin- 
ished to  suit  the  taste. 


CANNED  FRUIT  COOKED  IN  A 
WATER  BATH 

Prepare  the  fruit  and  sirup  as  for 
cooking  in  the  oven. 

Fill  the  sterilized  jars  and  put  the 
covers  on  loosely.  Have  a  wooden 
rack  in  the  bottom  of  a  wash  boiler 
(see  p.  28).  Put  in  enough  warm 
water  to  come  to  about  4  inches  above 
the  rack.  Place  the  filled  jars  in  the 
boiler,  but  do  not  let  them  touch  one 
another.  Pack  clean  white  cotton 
rags,  or  perhaps  better,  cotton  rope, 
between  and  around  the  jars  to  pre- 
vent them  from  striking  one  another 
when  the  water  begins  to  boil.  Cov- 
er the  boiler  and  let  the  fruit  cook 
ten  minutes  from  the  time  the  water 
surrounding  it  begins  to  boil. 

Draw  the  boiler  back  and  take  off 

the  cover.    When  the  steam  passes 

off  take  out  one  jar  at  a  time  and 

place  in  a  pan  of  boiling  water  beside 

64 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         65 

the  boiler,  fill  up  with  boiling  sirup, 
and  seal.  Put  the  jars  on  a  board 
and  do  not  let  cold  air  blow  upon 
them.  If  screw  covers  are  used 
tighten  them  when  the  glass  has 
cooled  and  contracted. 


PRESERVING  FRUIT 

In  the  case  of  most  fruits,  canning 
with  a  little  sugar  is  to  be  preferred 
to  preserving  with  a  large  quantity 
of  sugar.  There  are,  however,  some 
fruits  that  are  only  good  when  pre- 
served with  a  good  deal  of  sugar.  Of 
course,  such  preparations  of  fruit  are 
only  desirable  for  occasional  use.  The 
fruits  best  adapted  for  preserving  are 
strawberries,  sour  cherries,  sour 
plums,  and  quinces.  Such  rich  prep- 
arations should  be  put  up  in  small  jars 
or  tumblers. 

Recipes 


STRAWBERRIES 

Use  equal  weights  of  sugar  and 
strawberries.  Put  the  strawberries 
in  the  preserving  kettle  in  layers, 
sprinkling  sugar  over  each  layer.  The 
fruit  and  sugar  should  not  be  more 

6G 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         67 

than  4  inches  deep.  Place  the  kettle 
on  the  stove  and  heat  the  fruit  and 
sugar  slowly  to  the  boiUng  point. 
When  it  begins  to  boil  skim  carefully. 
Boil  ten  minutes,  counting  from  the 
time  the  fruit  begins  to  bubble.  Pour 
the  cooked  fruit  into  platters,  having 
it  about  2  or  3  inches  deep.  Place  the 
platters  in  a  sunny  window,  in  an  un- 
used room,  for  three  or  four  days. 
In  that  time  the  fruit  will  grow  plump 
and  firm,  and  the  sjrup  will  thicken 
almost  to  a  jelly.  Put  this  preserve, 
cold,  into  jars  or  tumblers. 

WHITE  CURRANTS 

Select  large,  firm  fruit,  remove  the 
stems,  and  proceed  as  for  straw- 
berries. 

CHERRIES 

The  sour  cherries,  such  as  Early 
Richmond  and  Montmorency,  are  best 
for  this  preserve.    Remove  the  stems 


68  CANNED  FRUITS 

and  stones  from  the  cherries  and  pro- 
ceed as  for  strawberry  preserve. 


CHERRIES  PRESERVED  WITH 
CURRANT  JUICE 

12  quarts  of  cherries 
3  quarts  of  currants 
2  quarts  of  sugar. 

Put  the  currants  in  the  preserving 
kettle  and  on  the  fire.  When  they 
boil  up  crush  them  and  strain 
through  cheese  cloth,  pressing  out 
all  the  juice. 

Stem  and  stone  the  cherries,  being 
careful  to  save  all  the  juice.  Put 
the  cherries,  fruit  juice,  and  sugar 
in  the  preserving  kettle.  Heat  to 
the  boiling  point  and  skim  carefully. 
Boil  for  twenty  minutes.  Put  in 
sterilized  jars  or  tumblers.  This 
gives  an  acid  preserve.  The  sugar 
may  be  doubled  if  richer  preserves 
are  desired. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        69 

PLUM  PRESERVE 

4  quarts  of  green  gages 
2  quarts  of  sugar 
1  pint  of  water. 

Prick  the  fruit  and  put  it  in  a  pre- 
serving kettle.  Cover  generously 
with  cold  water.  Heat  to  the  boiling 
I)oint  and  boil  gently  for  five  min- 
utes.   Drain  well. 

Put  the  sugar  and  water  in  a  pre- 
serving kettle  and  stir  over  the  fire 
until  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  Boil 
five  minutes,  skimming  well.  Put 
the  drained  green  gages  in  this  sirup 
and  cook  gently  for  twenty  minutes. 
Put  in  sterilized  jars. 

Other  plums  may  be  preserved  in 
the  same  manner.  The  skins  should 
be  removed  from  white  plums. 

QUINCES 

4  quarts   of   pared,    quartered,   and 

cored  quinces 
2  quarts  of  sugaf 
1  quart  of  water. 


70  CANNED  FRUITS 

Boil  the  fruit  in  clear  water  until 
it  is  tender,  then  skim  out  and  drain. 

Put  the  2  quarts  of  sugar  and  1 
quart  of  water  in  the  preserving  ket- 
tle; stir  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved. 
Let  it  heat  slowly  to  the  boiling 
point.  Skim  well  and  boil  for  twen- 
ty minutes.  Pour  one-half  of  the 
sirup  into  a  second  kettle.  Put  one- 
half  of  the  cooked  and  drained  fruit 
into  each  kettle.  Simmer  gently  for 
half  an  hour,  then  put  in  sterilized 
jars.  The  water  in  which  the  fruit 
was  boiled  can  be  used  with  the  par- 
ings, cores,  and  gnarly  fruit  to  make 
jelly. 


FRUIT  PUREES 


Purees  of  fruit  are  in  the  nature  of 
marmalades,  but  they  are  not  cooked 
so  long,  and  so  retain  more  of  the 
natural  flavor  of  the  fruit.  This  is 
a  particularly  nice  way  to  preserve 
the  small,  seedy  fruits,  which  are  to 
be  used  in  puddings,  cake,  and  frozen 
desserts. 

Free  the  fruit  from  leaves,  stems 
and  decayed  portions.  Peaches  and 
plums  should  have  the  skins  and 
stones  removed.  Rub  the  fruit 
through  a  puree  sieve.  To  each  quart 
of  the  strained  fruit  add  a  pint  of 
sugar.  Pack  in  sterilized  jars.  Put 
the  covers  loosely  on  the  jars.  Place 
the  jars  on  the  rack  in  the  boiler. 
Pour  in  enough  cold  water  to  come 
half  way  up  the  sides  of  the  jars. 
Heat  gradually  to  the  boiling  point 
and  boil  thirty  minutes,  counting' 
71 


72  CANNED  FRUITS 

from  the  time  when  the  water  be- 
gins to  bubble. 

Have  some  boiling  sirup  ready.  As 
each  jar  is  taken  from  the  boiler  put 
it  in  a  pan  of  hot  water  and  fill  up 
with  the  hot  sirup.    Seal  at  once. 


MARMALADES 

Marmalades  require  great  care 
while  cooking  because  no  moisture  is 
added  to  the  fruit  and  sugar.  If  the 
marmalade  is  made  from  berries  the 
fruit  should  be  rubbed  through  a 
sieve  to  remove  the  seeds.  If  large 
fruit  is  used  have  it  washed,  pared, 
cored,  and  quartered. 

Measure  the  fruit  and  sugar,  allow- 
ing one  pint  of  sugar  to  each  quart 
of  fruit. 

Rinse  the  preserving  kettle  with 
cold  water  that  there  may  be  a  slight 
coat  of  moisture  on  the  sides  and 
bottom.  Put  alternate  layers  of  fruit 
and  sugar  in  the  kettle,  having  the 
first  layer  fruit.  Heat  slowly,  stir- 
ring frequently.  While  stirring, 
break  up  the  fruit  as  much  as  possi- 
ble. Cook  about  two  hours,  then  put 
in  small  sterilized  jars. 
73 


74  CANNED  FRUITS 

FRUIT  PRESERVED  IN  GRAPE 
JUICE 

Any  kind  of  fruit  can  be  preserved 
by  this  method,  but  it  is  particularly 
good  for  apples,  pears,  and  sweet 
plums.  No  sugar  need  be  used  in  this 
process. 

Boil  6  quarts  of  grape  juice  in  an 
open  preserving  kettle,  until  it  is  re- 
duced to  4  quarts.  Have  the  fruit 
washed  and  pared,  and,  if  apples  or 
pears,  quartered  and  cored.  Put  the 
prepared  fruit  in  a  preserving  kettle 
and  cover  generously  with  the  boiled 
grape  juice.  Boil  gently  until  the 
fruit  is  clear  and  tender,  then  put  in 
sterilized  jars. 


BOILED  CIDER 

When  the  apple  crop  is  abundant 
and  a  large  quantity  of  cider  is  made, 
the  housekeeper  will  find  it  to  her 
advantage  to  put  up  a  generous  sup- 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        75 

ply  of  boiled  cider.  Such  cider 
greatly  improves  mince  meat  and 
can  be  used  at  any  time  of  the  year 
to  make  cider  apple  sauce.  It  is  also 
a  good  selling  article. 

The  cider  for  boiling  must  be  per- 
fectly fresh  and  sweet.  Put  it  in  a 
large,  open  preserving  kettle  and  boil 
until  it  is  reduced  one-half.  Skim 
frequently  while  boiling.  Do  not 
have  the  kettle  more  than  two-thirds 
full. 

Put  in  bottles  or  stone-jugs. 

CIDER  APPLE  SAUCE 

5  quarts  of  boiled  cider 
8   quarts   of   pared,    quartered,   and 
cored  sweet  apples. 

Put  the  fruit  in  a  large  preserving 
kettle  and  cover  with  the  boiled  cider. 
Cook  slowly  until  the  apples  are 
clear  and  tender.  To  prevent  burn- 
ing, place  the  kettle  on  an  iron  tripod 
or  ring.    It  will  require  from  two 


76  CANNED  FRUITS 

to  three  hours  to  cook  the  apples. 
If  you  find  it  necessary  to  stir  the 
sauce  be  careful  to  break  the  apples 
as  little  as  possible.  When  the  sauce 
is  cooked,  put  in  sterilized  jars. 

In  the  late  spring,  when  cooking 
apples  have  lost  much  of  their  flavor 
and  acidity,  an  appetizing  sauce  may 
be  made  by  stewing  them  with 
diluted  boiled  cider,  using  1  cupful 
of  cider  to  3  of  water. 


CIDER  PEAR  SAUCE 

Cooking  pears  may  be  preserved  in 
boiled  cider  the  same  as  sweet  apples. 
If  one  prefers  the  sauce  less  sour, 
1  pint  of  sugar  may  be  added  to  each 
quart  of  boiled  cider. 


METHODS  OF  MAKING  JELLY 

In  no  department  of  preserving 
does  the  housekeeper  feel  less  sure 
of  the  result  than  in  jelly  making. 
The  rule  that  works  perfectly  one 
time  fails  another  time.  Why  this 
is  so  the  average  housekeeper  does 
not  know;  so  there  is  always  an  ele- 
ment of  uncertainty  as  to  the  result 
of  the  work.  These  two  questions 
are  being  constantly  asked:  "Why 
does  not  my  jelly  harden?"  "What 
causes  my  jelly  to  candy?" 

It  is  an  easy  matter  to  say  that 
there  is  something  in  the  condition  of 
the  fruit,  or  that  the  fruit  juice  and 
sugar  were  cooked  too  short  or  too 
long  a  time.  These  explanations 
are  often  true;  but  they  do  not  help 
the  inquirer,  since  at  other  times 
just  that  proportion  of  sugar  and 
time  of  cooking  have  given  perfect 
jelly.    In  the  following  pages  an  at- 

77 


78 CANNED  FRUITS 

tempt  is  made  to  give  a  clear  explana- 
tion of  the  principles  underlying  the 
process  of  jelly  making.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  women  who  study  this 
carefully  will  find  the  key  to  unvary- 
ing success  in  this  branch  of  preserv- 
ing. 


PECTIN,  PECTOSE,  PECTASE 

In  all  fruits,  when  ripe  or  nearly 
so,  there  is  found  pectin,  a  carbohy- 
drate somewhat  similar  in  its  prop- 
erties to  starch.  It  is  because  of 
this  substance  in  the  fruit  juice  that 
we  are  able  to  make  jelly.  When 
equal  quantities  of  sugar  and  fruit 
juice  are  combined  and  the  mixture 
is  heated  to  the  boiling  point  for  a 
short  time,  the  pectin  in  the  fruit 
gelatinizes  the  mass. 

It  is  important  that  the  jelly 
maker  should  understand  when  this 
gelatinizing  agent  is  at  its  best.    Pec- 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         79 

tose  and  pectase  always  exist  in  the 
unripe  fruit.  As  the  fruit  ripens 
the  pectase  acts  upon  the  pectose, 
which  is  insoluble  in  water,  convert- 
ing it  into  pectin,  which  is  soluble. 
Pectin  is  at  its  best  when  the  fruit 
is  just  ripe  or  a  little  before.  If  the 
juice  ferments,  or  the  cooking  of  the 
jelly  is  continued  too  long,  the  pectin 
undergoes  a  change  and  loses  its 
power  of  gelatinizing.  It  is,  .there- 
fore, of  the  greatest  importance  that 
the  fruit  should  be  fresh,  just  ripe 
or  a  little  underripe,  and  that  the 
boiling  of  the  sugar  and  juice  should 
not  be  continued  too  long. 

Fruits  vary  ^s  to  the  quantities  of 
sugar,  acid,  pectin,  and  gums  in  their 
composition.  Some  of  the  sour  fruits 
contain  more  sugar  than  do  some  of 
the  milder-flavored  fruits.  Currants, 
for  example,  often  contain  four  or 
five  times  as  much  sugar  as  the 
peach.      The  peach  does  not  contain 


80  CANNED  FRUITS 

SO  much  free  acid  and  it  does  contain 
a  great  deal  of  pectin  bodies,  which 
mask  the  acid;  hence,  the  compara- 
tive sweetness  of  the  ripe  fruit. 


SELECTION  AND  HANDLING  OF 
FRUIT  FOR  JELLY  MAKING. 

An  acid  fruit  is  the  most  suitable 
for  jelly  making,  though  in  some  of 
the  acid  fruits,  the  strawberry,  for 
example,  the  quantity  of  the  jelly- 
making  pectin  is  so  small  that  it  is 
difficult  to  make  jelly  with  this  fruit. 
If,  however,  some  currant  juice  be 
added  to  the  strawberry  juice,  a 
pleasant  jelly  will  be  the  result;  yet, 
of  course,  the  flavor  of  the  straw- 
berry will  be  modified.  Here  is  a  list 
of  the  most  desirable  fruits  for  jelly 
making.  The  very  best  are  given 
first:  Currant,  crab  apple,  apple, 
quince,  grape,  blackberry,  raspberry, 
peach. 

Apples  make  a  very  mild  jelly,  and 
it  may  be  flavored  with  fruits,  flow- 
ers, or  spices.  If  the  apples  are  acid 
it  is  not  advisable  to  use  any  flavor. 

Juicy  fruits,  such  as  currants,  rasp-» 
berries,  etc.,  should  not  be  gathered 
81 


82  CANNED  FRUITS 

after  a  rain,  for  they  will  have  ab- 
sorbed so  much  water  as  to  make  it 
difficult,  without  excessive  boiling,  to 
get  the  juice  to  jelly. 

K  berries  are  sandy  or  dusty  it  will 
be  necessary  to  wash  them,  but  the 
work  should  be  done  very  quickly  so 
that  the  fruit  may  not  absorb  much 
water.    (See  washing  fruit,  p.  38.) 

Large  fruits,  such  as  apples, 
peaches,  and  pears,  must  be  boiled  in 
water  until  soft.  The  strained  liquid 
will  contain  the  flavoring  matter 
and  pectin. 

It  requires  more  work  and  skill  to 
make  jellies  from  the  fruits  to  which 
water  must  be  added  than  from  the 
juicy  fruits.  If  the  juicy  fruits  are 
gathered  at  the  proper  time  one  may 
be  nearly  sure  that  they  contain  the 
right  proportion  of  water.  If  gath- 
ered after  a  rain  the  fruit  must  be 
boiled  a  little  longer  that  the  super- 
fluous water  may  pass  off  in  steam. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        83 

In  the  case  of  the  large  fruits  a 
fair  estimate  is  3  quarts  of  strained 
juice  from  8  quarts  of  fruit  and  about 
4  quarts  of  water.  If  the  quantity 
of  juice  is  greater  than  this  it  should 
be  boiled  down  to  3  quarts. 

Apples  will  always  require  4 
quarts  of  water  to  8  quarts  of  fruit, 
but  juicy  peaches  and  plums  will  re- 
quire only  3  or  31/2  quarts. 

The  jelly  will  be  clearer  and  finer 
if  the  fruit  is  simmered  gently  and 
not  stirred  during  the  cooking. 

It  is  always  best  to  strain  the  juice 
first  through  cheese  cloth  and  with- 
out pressure.  If  the  cloth  is  double 
the  juice  will  be  quite  clear.  When 
a  very  clear  jelly  is  desired  the 
strained  juice  should  pass  through 
a  flannel  or  felt  bag.  The  juice  may 
be  pressed  from  the  fruit  left  in  the 
strainer  and  used  in  marmalade  or 
for  a  second-quality  jelly. 

To  make  jelly  that  will  not  crystal- 


84  CANNED  FRUITS 

lize  (candy)  the  right  proportion  of 
sugar  must  be  added  to  the  fruit 
juice.  If  the  fruit  contains  a  high 
percentage  of  sugar,  the  quantity  of 
added  sugar  should  be  a  little  less 
than  the  quantity  of  fruit  juice.  That 
is  to  say,  in  a  season  when  there  has 
been  a  great  deal  of  heat  and  sun- 
shine there  will  be  more  sugar  in  the 
fruit  than  in  a  cold,  wet  season ;  con- 
sequently, 1  pint  of  currant  juice  will 
require  about  three-quarters  of  a 
pint  of  sugar.  But  in  a  cold,  wet 
season  the  pint  of  sugar  for  the  pint 
of  juice  must  be  measured  gener- 
ously. 

Another  cause  of  the  jelly  crystal- 
lizing is  hard  boiling.  When  the 
sirup  boils  so  rapidly  that  particles 
of  it  are  thrown  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  sides  of  the  preserving  kettle 
they  often  form  crystals.  If  these 
crystals  are  stirred  into  the  sirup 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         85 

they  are  apt  to  cause  the  mass  to 
crystallize  in  time. 

The  use  of  the  sirup  gauge  and 
care  not  to  boil  the  sirup  too  violent- 
ly would  do  away  with  all  uncer- 
tainty in  jelly  making.  The  sirup 
gauge  should  register  25°,  no  matter 
what  kind  of  fruit  is  used.  (See  p. 
45.) 

Jellies  should  be  covered  closely 
and  kept  in  a  cool,  dry,  dark  place.^ 


Recipes 

Currant  Jelly 

The  simplest  method  of  making 
currant  jelly  is  perhaps  the  following: 
Free  the  currants  from  leaves  and 
large  stems.  Put  them  in  the  preserv- 
ing kettle ;  crush  a  few  with  a  wooden 
vegetable  masher  or  spoon;  heat 
slowly,  stirring  frequently. 

When  the  currants  are  hot,  crush 
them  with  the  vegetable  masher. 
Put  a  hair  sieve  or  strainer  over  a 
large  bowl ;  over  this  spread  a  double 
square  of  cheese  cloth.  Turn  the 
crushed  fruit  and  juice  into  the 
cheese  cloth,  and  let  it  drain  as  long 
as  it  drips,  but  do  not  use  pressure. 
To  hasten  the  process  take  the  cor- 
ners of  the  straining  cloth  firmly  in 
the  hands  and  lift  from  the  sieve; 
move  the  contents  by  raising  one 
side  of  the  cloth  and  then  the  other. 
86 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        87 

After  this  put  the  cloth  over  another 
bowl.  Twist  the  ends  together  and 
press  out  as  much  juice  as  possible. 
This  juice  may  be  used  to  make  a 
second  quality  of  jelly. 

The  clear  juice  may  be  made  into 
jelly  at  once,  or  it  may  be  strained 
through  a  flannel  bag.  In  any  case, 
the  method  of  making  the  jelly  is 
the  same. 

Measure  the  juice,  and  put  it  in 
a  clean  preserving  kettle.  For  every 
pint  of  juice  add  a  pint  of  granu- 
lated sugar. 

Stir  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved, 
then  place  over  the  fire ;  watch  close- 
ly, and  when  it  boils  up  draw  it  back 
and  skim;  put  over  the  fire  again, 
and  boil  and  skim  once  more;  boil 
and  skim  a  third  time;  then  pour 
into  hot  glasses  taken  from  the  pan 
of  water  on  the  stove  and  set  on  a 
board.  Place  the  board  near  a  sunny 
window  in  a  room  where  there  is  no 


88  CANNED  FRUITS 

dust.  It  is  a  great  protection  and 
advantage  to  have  sheets  of  glass 
to  lay  on  top  of  the  tumblers.  As 
soon  as  the  jelly  is  set  cover  by  one 
of  the  three  methods  given.  (See  p. 
94.) 

To  make  very  transparent  currant 
jelly,  heat,  crush,  and  strain  the  cur- 
rants as  directed  in  the  simplest  pro- 
cess. Put  the  strained  juice  in  the 
flannel  bag  and  let  it  drain  through. 
Measure  the  juice  and  sugar,  pint 
for  pint,  and  finish  as  directed  above. 

To  make  currant  jelly  by  the  cold 
process  follow  the  first  rule  for  jelly 
as  far  as  dissolving  the  sugar  in  the 
strained  juice.  Fill  warm,  sterilized 
glasses  with  this.  Place  the  glasses 
on  a  board  and  put  the  board  by  a 
sunny  window.  Cover  with  sheets 
of  glass  and  keep  by  the  window  un- 
til the  jelly  is  set.  The  jelly  will  be 
more  transparent  if  the  juice  is 
strained   through   the   flannel   bag. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        89 

Jelly  made  by  the  cold  process  is 
more  delicate  than  that  made  by  boil- 
ing, but  it  does  not  keep  quite  so  well. 

Raspberry  and  Currant  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  currant  jelly, 
using  half  currants  and  half  rasp- 
berries. 

Raspberry  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  currant  jelly. 

Blackberry  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  currant  jelly^ 

Strawberry  Jelly. 
To  10  quarts  of  strawberries  add 
2  quarts  of  currants  and  proceed  as 
for   currant   jelly,   but   boil   fifteen 
minutes. 

Ripe-Grape  Jelly. 

An  acid  grape  is  best  for  this  jelly. 
The  sweet,  ripe  grapes  contain  too 
much    sugar.      Half-ripe    fruit,    or 


90  CANNED  FRUITS 

equal  portions  of  nearly  ripe  and 
green  grapes,  will  also  be  found  sat- 
isfactory. Wild  grapes  make  de- 
licious jelly.  Make  the  same  as  cur- 
rant jelly. 

Green-Grape  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  apple  jelly. 

Plum  Jelly. 

Use  an  underripe  acid  plum.  Wash 
the  fruit  and  remove  the  stems.  Put 
into  the  preserving  kettle  with  1 
quart  of  water  for  each  peck  of 
fruit.  Cook  gently  until  the  plums 
are  boiled  to  pieces.  Strain  the  juice 
and  proceed  the  same  as  for  currant 
jelly. 

Apple  Jelly. 

Wash,  stem,  and  wipe  the  apples, 
being  careful  to  clean  the  blossom 
end  thoroughly.  Cut  into  quarters 
and  put  into  the  preserving  kettle. 
Barely  cover  with  cold  water  (about 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         91 

4  quarts  of  water  to  8  of  apples)  and 
cook  gently  until  the  apples  are  soft 
and  clear.  Strain  the  juice  and  pro- 
ceed as  for  currant  jelly.  There 
should  be  but  3  quarts  of  juice  from 
8  quarts  of  apples  and  4  of  water. 

Apples  vary  in  the  percentage  of 
sugar  and  acid  they  contain.  A  fine- 
flavored  acid  apple  should  be  em- 
ployed when  possible.  Apple  jelly 
may  be  made  at  any  time  of  the 
year,  but  winter  apples  are  best 
and  should  be  used  when  in  their 
prime,  i.  e.,  from  the  fall  to  Decem- 
ber or  January.  When  it  is  found 
necessary  to  make  apple  jelly  in  the 
spring,  add  the  juice  of  one  lemon 
to  every  pint  of  apple  juice. 

Cider  Apple  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  plain  apple  jelly, 
but  covering  the  apples  with  cider  in- 
stead of  water.  The  cider  must  be 
fresh  from  the  press. 


92  CANNED  FRUITS 

Crab- Apple  Jelly. 

Make  the  same  as  plain  apple  jelly. 

Quince  Jelly. 

Rub  the  quinces  with  a  coarse 
crash  towel ;  cut  out  the  blossom  end. 
Wash  the  fruit  and  pare  it  and  cut 
in  quarters.  Cut  out  the  cores,  put- 
ing  them  in  a  dish  by  themselves. 
Have  a  large  bowl  half  full  of  water ; 
drop  the  perfect  pieces  of  fruit  into 
this  bowl.  Put  the  parings  and  im- 
perfect parts,  cut  very  fine,  into  the 
preserving  kettle.  Add  a  quart  of 
water  to  every  2  quarts  of  fruit  and 
parings.  Put  on  the  fire  and  cook 
gently  for  two  hours.  Strain  and 
finish  the  same  as  apple  jelly.  The 
perfect  fruit  may  be  preserved  or 
canned. 

To  make  quince  jelly  of  a  second 
quality,  when  the  parings  and  fruit 
are  put  on  to  cook,  put  the  cores  into 
another  kettle,  and  cover  them  gener- 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         93 

ously  with  water  and  cook  two  hours. 
After  all  the  juice  has  been  drained 
from  the  parings  and  fruit,  put 
what  remains  into  the  preserving 
kettle  with  the  cores.  Mix  well  and 
turn  into  the  straining  cloth.  Press 
all  the  juice  possible  from  this  mix- 
ture. Put  the  juice  in  the  preserving 
kettle  with  a  pint  of  sugar  to  a  pint 
of  juice;  boil  ten  minutes. 

Wild  Fruits  for  Jellies. 

Wild  raspberries,  blackberries, 
barberries,  grapes,  and  beach  plums 
all  make  delicious  jellies.  The  fre- 
quent failures  in  making  barberry 
jelly  come  from  the  fruit  not  being 
fresh  or  from  being  overripe. 

Preparation  of  the  Glasses  for  Jelly 

Sterilize  the  glasses ;  take  from  the 
boiling  water  and  set  them  in  a  shal- 
low baking  pan  in  which  there  is 
about  2  inches  of  boihng  water. 


COVERING  JELLIES. 

Jellies  are  so  rich  in  sugar  that 
they  are  protected  from  bacteria  and 
yeasts,  but  they  must  be  covered 
carefully  to  protect  them  from  mold 
spores  and  evaporation.  The  follow- 
ing methods  of  covering  jellies  are 
all  good: 

Have  disks  of  thick  white  paper 
the  size  of  the  top  of  the  glass. 
Vv^hen  the  jelly  is  set,  brush  the  top 
over  with  brandy  or  alcohol.  Dip  a 
disk  of  paper  in  the  spirits  and  put 
it  on  the  jelly.  If  the  glasses  have 
covers,  put  them  on.  If  there  are 
no  covers,  cut  disks  of  paper  about 
half  an  inch  in  diameter  larger  than 
the  top  of  the  glass.  Beat  together 
the  white  of  one  egg  and  a  table- 
spoonful  of  cold  water.  Wet  the 
paper  covers  with  this  mixture  and 
put  over  the  glass,  pressing  down 
the  sides  well  to  make  them  stick  to 
the  glass ;  or  the  covers  may  be  dip- 
ped in  olive  oil,  and  be  tied  on  the 
94 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES        95 

glasses,  but  they  must  be  cut  a  little 
larger  than  when  the  white  of  egg  is 
used. 

A  thick  coating  of  paraffine  makes 
a  good  cover,  but  not  quite  so  safe 
as  the  paper  dipped  in  brandy  or  al- 
cohol, because  the  spirits  destroy  any 
mold  spores  that  may  happen  to  rest 
on  the  jelly.  If  such  spores  are 
covered  w^ith  the  paraffine  they  may 
develop  under  it.  However,  the 
paper  wet  with  spirits  could  be  put 
on  first  and  the  paraffine  poured 
over  it. 

If  paraffine  is  used,  break  it  into 
pieces  and  put  in  a  cup.  Set  the 
cup  in  a  pan  of  warm  water  on  the 
back  of  the  stove.  In  a  few  moments 
it  will  be  melted  enough  to  cover  the 
jelly.  Have  the  coating  about  a 
fourth  of  an  inch  thick.  In  cooling 
the  paraffine  contracts,  and  if  the 
layer  is  very  thin  it  will  crack  and 
leave  a  portion  of  the  jelly  exposed. 


CANNED  OR  BOTTLED  FRUIT 
JUICES. 

Fruit  juice  is  most  desirable  for 
drinking  or  for  culinary  purposes. 
Grape  juice  is  particularly  good  as  a 
drink.  It  may  be  canned  with  or 
without  sugar,  but,  except  where  the 
grapes  have  a  large  percentage  of 
sugar,  as  is  the  case  in  California, 
some  sugar  should  be  added  to  the 
juice  in  canning. 

Currant  juice  may  be  sterilized 
and  canned  without  sugar.  This 
juice  may  be  made  into  jelly  at  any 
season  of  the  year. 

Fruit  juices  that  are  designed  for 
use  in  frozen  creams  and  water  ices 
should  be  canned  with  a  generous 
amount  of  sugar. 

For  grape  juice  good  bottles  are  to 

be  preferred  to  fruit  cans.     If  you 

can  get  the  self -sealing  bottles,  such 

as  pop  or  beer  comes  in,  the  work  of 

96 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         97 

putting  up  grape  juice  will  be  light. 
If  bottles  are  employed,  be  very  care- 
ful to  sterilize  both  bottles  and  corks. 


Recipes 


Grape  Juice. 

Wash  the  grapes  and  pick  from 
the  stems.  Put  the  fruit  in  the  pre- 
serving kettle  and  crush  slightly. 
Heat  slowly  and  boil  gently  for  half 
an  hour.  Crush  the  fruit  with  a 
wooden  spoon. 

Put  a  sieve  or  colander  over  a 
large  bowl  and  spread  a  square  of 
cheese  cloth  over  the  sieve.  Turn 
the  fruit  and  juice  into  the  cheese 
cloth;  drain  well,  then  draw  the 
edges  of  the  cheese  cloth  together 
and  twist  hard  to  press  out  all  the 
juice  possible. 

Put  the  strained  juice  in  a  clean 
preserving  kettle  and  on  the  fire. 
When  it  boils  up,  draw  back  and 
skim.  Let  it  boil  up  again  and  skim ; 
then  add  the  sugar  and  stir  until  dis- 
ss 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES         99 

solved.  Boil  five  minutes,  skimming 
carefully.  Fill  hot  sterilized  jars  or 
bottles.  Put  the  jars  or  bottles  in 
a  moderate  oven  for  ten  minutes,  in 
pans  of  boiling  water.  Have  some 
boiling  juice  and  pour  a  little  of  it 
into  the  jars  as  they  are  taken  from 
the  oven ;  then  seal.  Place  on  boards 
and  set  aside  out  of  a  cold  draft. 

A  good  proportion  of  sugar  and 
juice  is  1  gill  of  sugar  to  a  quart  of 
juice. 


Raspberry,   Blackberry,  Strawberry, 
and  Currant  Juices. 

With  all  these  fruits  except  cur- 
rants, proceed  the  same  as  for  grape 
juice,  but  adding  half  a  pint  of  sugar 
to  each  quart  of  juice.  Currants 
will  require  1  pint  of  sugar  to  a  quart 
of  juice. 


100  CANNED  FRUITS 

Cherry,  Plum,  and  Peach  Juices. 

To  preserve  the  juice  of  cherries, 
plums,  peaches,  and  similar  fruits, 
proceed  as  for  jelly,  but  adding  to 
each  quart  of  juice  half  a  pint  of 
sugar  instead  of  a  quart  as  for  jelly. 
If  it  is  not  desired  to  have  the  fruit 
juice  transparent,  the  pulp  of  the 
fruit  may  be  pressed  to  extract  all 
the  liquid. 


Fruit  Sirups. 

The  only  difference  between  sirups 
and  juice  is  that  in  the  sirup  there 
must  be  at  least  half  as  much  sugar 
as  fruit  juice. 

These  sirups  are  used  for  flavoring 
ice  creams  and  water  ices.  They  also 
make  a  delicious  drink,  when  two  or 
three  spoonfuls  are  added  to  a  glass 
of  ice  water. 


PRESERVES  AND  JELLIES       101 

Raspberry  Vinegar. 

Put  4  quarts  of  raspberries  in  a 
bowl  and  pour  over  them  2  quarts  of 
vinegar.  Cover  and  set  in  a  cool 
place  for  two  days.  On  the  second 
day  strain  the  vinegar  through 
cheese  cloth.  Put  4  quarts  of  fresh 
raspberries  in  a  bowl  and  pour  over 
them  the  vinegar  strained  from  the 
first  raspberries.  Put  in  a  cool  place 
for  two  days,  then  strain.  Put  the 
strained  juice  in  a  preserving  kettle 
with  3  quarts  of  sugar.  Heat  slowly, 
and  when  the  vinegar  boils  skim 
carefully.  Boil  twenty  minutes,  then 
put  in  sterilized  bottles. 

About  2  tablespoonfuls  of  vinegar 
to  a  glass  of  water  makes  a  refresh- 
ing drink. 

Similar  vinegars  may  be  made 
from  blackberries  and  strawberries. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


AUG  131985 


THE  LXiJKAKi: 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


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3  1158  00305  024 


